In the Name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Day of Remorse / Yawm Al-Hasrah

[25:13] And when they are thrown into it, through a narrow place, all shackled, they will declare their remorse.
[25:14] You will not declare just a single remorse, on that day; you will suffer through a great number of remorses.

Remorse is a heavy load of pain that we experience when we deeply regret certain actions or choices. If it is not dealt with properly, the uneasiness, anxiety, and self-blame may cause us very serious emotional and psychological damage.

God attributes perfection to His kingdom (34:37) and states that there is NO nonsense to be heard there- NO jealousy, NO falsehood, NO sinful utterances (88:11, 19:62, 56:25, 78:35, 7:43)- only purity, grace, truth, and justice. This is because Satan and his allies who originate all nonsensical attributes have no access to that kingdom. Remorse is one of their products they promote on earth to drag us away from God's light and His perfect peace. The goal is accomplished when the pain of regret keeps on accumulating and shielding our minds from using the logic of Quran to analyze our experiences and find a closure for them.

It is a fact that this blinding process continues on earth until remorse remains in the Hereafter to be the lot of those who choose Satan over God and His truth. It drives them on a path of shame, misery, and guilt all the way to Hell. Because of this fact, one of the attributes of the Day of Judgment is being " Day of Remorse / Yawm Al-Hasrah". This attribute is to characterize one aspect of the torture reserved exclusively for the disbelievers on that day.

[19:39] Warn them about the day of remorse, when judgment will be issued. They are totally oblivious; they do not believe.

Because believers are blessed with the conscious of recognizing their sins, whenever they fail to choose Quran's manual to go by, they immediately repent and strive to fix their works and reform (3:135, 4:146, 6:48). God assures the believers in Quran that they have an extended offer to learn from their mistakes, repent, and let go of all the shame and guilt that would only weaken their will and scatter their strength (39:53). God thus empowers the believers and informs them that they do have the freedom to edit their records through their repentance and reform. What a therapeutic scheme designed by the Most Merciful to wipe off any traces of remorse in our hearts and to replace that with peace and hope!

Because our physical time on earth doesn't exist in God's dominion, our past, present, and future decisions are already documented done deals for Him. He knows them all in advance. Such a fact should always bring us a sense of peace and wisdom to quit dwelling on the negative and bitter feeling of remorse because, realistically, the only available tool that would make a difference and erase a sin is our repentance, and reform. What would be the benefit of wasting a second on remorse, when we could use that second to repent and earn a credit instead of a sin (25:70)?? This is the POSITIVE energy and the healing believers are blessed with when God is their Teacher, and the Author of their manual.

Profound Fact
[57:22] Anything that happens on earth, or to you, has already been recorded, even before the creation. This is easy for GOD to do.
[57:23] Thus, you should not grieve over anything you miss, nor be proud of anything He has bestowed upon you. GOD does not love those who are boastful, proud.

[28:64] It will be said, "Call upon your idols (to help you)." They will call upon them, but they will not respond. They will suffer the retribution, and wish that they were guided!
[28:65] On that day, He will ask everyone, "How did you respond to the messengers?"
[28:66] They will be so stunned by the facts on that day, they will be speechless.
[28:67] As for those who repent, believe, and lead a righteous life, they will end up with the winners.

Satan, on the other hand, would choose the weak ones to fill their hearts with feelings of sorrow, pain, and guilt that might grow into resentment, and rage. Instead of analyzing their actions, repenting, and moving forward in peace on God's path, some become paralyzed by dwelling heedlessly on these pointless feelings - that is what Satan immediately introduces when he senses our deviation and weakness. Then, his followers feel worthless and get stuck in this vicious turmoil of remorse. They give up, while the clock is ticking, only to carry more loads of pain and despair until they become muted with no free will. This is the NEGATIVE energy that Satan neutralizes his followers with.

The Devil is the Other Alternative
[36:60] Did I not covenant with you, O Children of Adam, that you shall not worship the devil? That he is your most ardent enemy?
[36:61] And that you shall worship Me alone? This is the right path.
[36:62] He has misled multitudes of you. Did you not possess any understanding?
[36:63] This is the Hell that was promised for you.

[43:36] Anyone who disregards the message of the Most Gracious, we appoint a devil to be his constant companion.
[43:37] Such companions will divert them from the path, yet make them believe that they are guided.
[43:38] When he comes before us he will say, "Oh I wish you were as far from me as the two easts. What a miserable companion!"

When we keep on missing the chances of reversing remorse into active awareness to repent and reform, we become trapped by and surrounded with these sins. Unfortunately, some approach death in this state of unawareness (2:81, 32:12). Others, might become aware when it is too late so they face death with loads of remorse for their sins but they have lost the physical and the mental capacity to catch up with the process of cleansing their records and redeeming their souls (10:90-91). So, their remorse cannot help them in the least. In either case, remorse remains as their lot on the Day of Judgment, and there will be no escape or return. These Quran reminders describe the pain they will go through for us to take heed and declare war against our ardent enemy:

[6:31] Losers indeed are those who disbelieve in meeting GOD, until the Hour comes to them suddenly, then say, "We deeply regret wasting our lives in this world." They will carry loads of their sins on their backs; what a miserable load!

[2:167] Those who followed will say, "If we can get another chance, we will disown them, as they have disowned us now." GOD thus shows them the consequences of their works as nothing but remorse; they will never exit Hell.

[10:54] If any wicked soul possessed everything on earth, it would readily offer it as ransom. They will be ridden with remorse when they see the retribution. They will be judged equitably, without the least injustice.

[3:30] The day will come when each soul will find all the good works it had done brought forth. As for the evil works, it will wish that they were far, far removed. GOD alerts you that you shall reverence Him alone. GOD is Compassionate towards the people.

[69:25] As for him who is given his record in his left hand, he will say, "Oh, I wish I never received my record.
[69:26] "I wish I never knew my account.
[69:27] "I wish my death was eternal.
[69:28] "My money cannot help me.
[69:29] "All my power is gone."

[70:11] When they see them, the guilty will wish he could give his own children as ransom, to spare him the retribution of that day.
[70:12] Also his spouse, and his brother.
[70:13] Even his whole tribe that raised him.
[70:14] Even all the people on earth, if it would save him.

[89:23] On that day, Gehenna will be brought forth. On that day, the human being will remember - but what a remembrance - it will be too late.
[89:24] He will say, "Oh, I wish I prepared for my (eternal) life."

[25:27] The day will come when the transgressor will bite his hands (in anguish) and say, "Alas, I wish I had followed the path with the messenger.
[25:28] "Alas, woe to me, I wish I did not take that person as a friend.
[25:29] "He has led me away from the message after it came to me. Indeed, the devil lets down his human victims."

[33:66] The day they are thrown into Hell, they will say, "Oh, we wish we obeyed GOD, and obeyed the messenger."

[4:42] On that day, those who disbelieved and disobeyed the messenger will wish that they were level with the ground; not a single utterance will they be able to hide from GOD.

[78:40] We have sufficiently warned you about an imminent retribution. That is the day when everyone will examine what his hands have sent forth, and the disbeliever will say, "Oh, I wish I were dust."

[39:56] Lest a soul may say, "How sorry I am for disregarding GOD's commandments; I was certainly one of the mockers."
[39:57] Or say, "Had GOD guided me, I would have been with the righteous."
[39:58] Or say, when it sees the retribution, "If I get another chance, I will work righteousness."

[80:40] Other faces, on that day, will be covered with misery.
[80:41] Overwhelmed by remorse.
[80:42] These are the wicked disbelievers.

[84:10] As for the one who receives his record behind his back,
[84:11] He will be ridden with remorse.
[84:12] And will burn in Hell.

There is nothing more worthy to own on this earth than a guilt-free heart that is full of divine peace and contentment. Our source of peace is knowledge - the knowledge that our records are being constantly cleansed and that our time and energy have been used appropriately as instructed by God. We would fearlessly and graciously accept our physical or mental limitation because of old age or sickness, and we would be well prepared for a joyous journey back home to where we belong. Those who have not yet witnessed someone leaving earth in this state are still missing a very profound and beautiful demonstration of the truth in Quran..